When Abstinence Fails - Twice
by sparozina
Summary: The waterbed he never bought just broke. The baby he never conceived got left at his office. To top it all, he finally met his partner's weird choice of a boyfriend... (Co-written with Dr. Lancaster)
1. Prologue

The blonde threw her head back, rolling her hips in time with his movement, her hands gripping so tightly to the pillows behind her head that her knuckles were white. Her mouth opened and closed but made no sound, her eyes clamped themselves shut, and her hips that had moved in a rhythmic dance began to make uncoordinated jerks. "Oh god." She finally breathed, feeling the sparks of her orgasm begin right down in her toes.

"Oh, god! F-Fox…harder!" she cried in ecstasy. "Don't stop! You're an animal, Fox!"

A man on top of her moved faster. Harder. Like a horny old fox that he was. Oh, how he loved that name! How fresh and exotic it sounded, yet simple and insanely effective in starting a conversation as well as, more importantly, in bed.

This fine, muscular body was rotting in celibacy for too long, and he was determined to put a stop to it. In fact, he saw no reason to ever stop putting a stop to it...

"Say it again!" he demanded and the blonde cried out compliantly, in all the glory of a woman approaching an orgasm.

"Fooooox!"

And then it happened.

The blonde threw her head back and cried out her bed fellows name, head thrashing from side to side as she rode the waves. He was not far behind, and he too cried out with his release, still able to feel her walls pulsing around him as he pumped his seed into her. He could do anything, get anyone he wanted. He was in heaven.

Later, as the blonde dejectedly began picking up her clothing, he looked himself in the mirror. He never got tired of that marvelous reflection. So young, so handsome, without grey hair, without pain in the back and annoying wife and children who nag and demand... Who wouldn't want to be a Fox freaking Mulder?

Morris Fletcher certainly enjoyed every second of it.


	2. Chapter 1

Mulder's waterbed broke and flooded the apartment downstairs.

A bed he never bought.

Must've been a gift, but a gift from whom? And why?

He had to pay for the damage, so he went to the bank to cash his check. The line was long and it somehow felt like déjà vu. He had a feeling something terrible was going to happen and that he should leave the bank while there was still time.

But he stayed.

Nothing happened.

Not until he entered his office and found his partner holding a baby and talking on the phone.

"I'll have to call you back," she quickly finished the phone call and gave him an unusually judgmental look. He was clearly in trouble, but why? And where did Scully get that kid? Mulder pinched himself to check if he was dreaming, but he wasn't. There was only one other explanation: he must've woken up in a parallel reality of sorts.

"Where have you been, Mulder?" Scully's voice was cold and firm.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I had to go to the bank to…" he tried to explain, but she wasn't listening.

"Not this morning, Mulder. Nine months ago," she clarified. "Where have you been and what were you doing nine months ago?"

Mulder stared at her blankly for what felt like an age, but then a dawning of recognition began to fall over his face. "The baby-"

"Yes, the baby!" Scully agreed, irritated not for the first time about how slow on the uptake her partner could be.

"…I didn't even know you were pregnant." Mulder offered quietly.

It was Scully who stared, now, in complete silence with eyes so wide it was as though Mulder had grown another head. Finally, her voice cried, "She's not mine!" The baby, who had erstwhile been quiet, began to whimper.

Mulder held up his hands in apology and turned away from her briefly to slip his coat from his shoulders. "Who's is she then?"

"Yours, Mulder! She was here when I got here with this note attached to her car seat." She held it out with one hand while the other arm tried to rock the baby soothingly. The rocking didn't work, but as soon as the baby held Scully's finger in her own again she settled and went back to gazing up at the red head.

Mulder took the note, but his eyes remained on the baby. "…It can't be. I haven't…someone is messing with us. Is someone videoing this?" Mulder walked around in a circle as though a colleague would jump out with a smirk on his face. "Have we pissed someone off recently?"

"So you don't know who the mother is?"

"There is NO mother," Mulder insisted. "I haven't… Whoever the mother is, the baby isn't mine!"

"Read the note, Mulder," Scully suggested. The judgment in her voice broke his heart. Did she really think he would knock up a woman and leave, not even remembering her name?

He didn't even date, for god's sake! The only way this baby could be his would be if porn stars could stay pregnant while someone is watching them on tape.

In other words, it would be an X file. A hell of an X file!

"The note, Mulder," Scully repeated firmly.

He finally opened it and read the words that didn't make sense even in the context of his just formed pornography theory.

 _You made me call you Fox, and now I made you a little Vixen. I was going to keep her, but life got in the way. You are an FBI agent so you'll know better where to send her. Responsibility, Fox! Why should I be the only one to pay the price?_

"This is ridiculous!" Mulder objected. "I hate my name! I certainly wouldn't make a woman say it during…"

"Please, Mulder," Scully stopped him. "I don't need to know more about your sexual life than what I'm holding in my arms."

"You think it's true?"

"I think sometimes people get lonely, have a little fun and maybe don't even remember all the details in the morning. I understand that it might be… uncomfortable for you to talk to me about this, but considering…"

"Scully, I wouldn't be embarrassed to admit that. I don't drink or use drugs, and I have eidetic memory. This baby… It just didn't happen! I haven't been with a woman in… years, Scully! That's the real embarrassing part. Do you honestly think I would lie about that?"

"Okay," Scully sighed, visibly softening. He had her trust again, he could see it. "She isn't yours, then. But we still have to get to the bottom of this. Getting a DNA test would be a good start."

"Scully…"

"I believe you, Mulder. But we still have a baby, with a note addressed to you. Proving that she isn't yours is a first step we need to do."

Mulder let out a sigh of relief and nodded his head. "Should I go to the lab? What should I ask for?"

"I'll come with you." Scully got to her feet, the baby still resting in one arm. "And once we're done, we need to go and talk to Skinner. Some random woman shouldn't be able to walk in here with a baby and not get asked any questions."

Mulder took a step back as she approached him with the baby, causing Scully to roll her eyes as she settled the girl into the car seat she'd arrived in. "She won't bite, Mulder."

"She's ended up in the x-files office, Scully, so I wouldn't be too sure." Mulder shot back, holding open the door for them.

"Mulder-" Scully began, but then apparently thought better of it and instead pushed him with her free hand towards the elevator.

There were two agents inside, and their eyes popped out in surprise when Mr and Mrs Spooky walked into the small space with a baby spooky. The baby was tiny, and seemed fascinated with Agent Scully, beginning to whimper every time she looked away. Mulder might have snapped at them usually (not that today was anything like usual), but he too found himself watching Scully smile down at the baby.

"Mulder, what have you done now?" Skinner cried out when he saw his agents walk into his office carrying a baby with them.

"It wasn't me," Mulder quickly offered him the note. "But someone wanted me to think she's mine."

"Where did you find her?" Skinner asked, skimming through the hastily written message.

"In front of our office," Scully explained. "I was the only one down there, but I went to the bathroom and when I returned she was there. I didn't see or hear anybody. I made a few phone calls but there are no reports of missing baby."

"Where were you?" Skinner turned to Mulder.

"You mean this morning or nine months ago?"

"This morning, Mulder. Why weren't you in the office?"

"I was held up in the bank."

"And you are absolutely certain the kid isn't yours?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"We were just in the lab," Scully said. "I arranged for a DNA test to eliminate Agent Mulder's involvement, and we'll go from there."

"Okay, Agent Scully," Skinner agreed. "You can leave the baby with my secretary. She'll call someone from the social service to pick her up."

"I think it would be better if she stays with me," Scully said, causing both man to turn to her with huge question marks on their faces.

"She needs proper care," Skinner noted.

"And I can give it to her," Scully insisted. "As far as we know she might be in danger and I have resources to protect her. She'll be safe with me until we get to the bottom of this."

The baby wiggled uncomfortably and started to grab Scully's breast with her tiny hands, opening her mouth like a hungry little nestling.

Skinner tried not to look, but Mulder stared in amusement.

"She looks hungry, mom," he teased.

"There was some food and diapers left with her," Scully said. "If you'll excuse me, sir…"

"Go home, Agent Scully," Skinned decided. "I'm assigning you the baby for now and you will be relieved from the rest of your duties. I'll check this note for fingerprints and Mulder can finish your reports by himself."

"But, sir…" Mulder tried to whine.

"You are dismissed, Agents!" Skinner cut him off, making it clear that the conversation was over.

As Mulder walked from the room muttering to himself, Skinner stepped forward and put a hand to Scully's shoulder. "Agent Scully, what is your impression about all of this?"

"...Mulder says the baby has nothing to do with him, and I believe him." She replied loyally. When Skinner nodded, she followed Mulder from the room.

..

"Scully, I don't like the idea of you being alone with her." Mulder frowned down at the pair. Scully was now feeding the baby from a bottle, a look on her face that he couldn't read.

"She's a baby, Mulder. What's the worst that can happen?"

"It's not her I'm worried about. Whoever has done all this might come looking for her." He crossed the room to begin rifling through the bag that had arrived with the baby, as though he might find something Scully had missed.

"You could always come with me?"

Mulder let out a humourless laugh and glanced over his shoulder. "Me and babies don't get on."

"You and babies have never even met, Mulder. Come and hold her." Scully shifted the baby, and though Mulder seemed as though he might consider it, as soon as the bottle was pulled away the baby cried and he returned to the other side of the room.

"Just call me if you need me. I'll make sure I'm available." Mulder offered, before adding, "Available for anything non-baby related."

"I'll be sure not to phone you over a poopy diaper." Scully promised, shushing the baby once more.

Mulder sat silently at his desk until the pair had gone, Scully barely even glancing at him as she walked through the door. Maybe this whole morning had been a really weird dream. That was it. He was dreaming. No, actually, he can't have been dreaming, because Scully was wearing clothes, and usually-

"Where's Dana?" Mulder's head flew up. He hadn't even heard anyone enter the office.

"You are?"

"We're supposed to be meeting for lunch." The man put his hands on his hips, frowning at the chair Scully had so recently departed.

"You must be Agent Mulder," the man approached him at last, offering his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Agent Bryant. Steven Bryant."

"Ah, Mr. Perfect," Mulder nodded, reluctantly agreeing to the handshake.

"Is that how she calls me?" Agent Bryant asked.

"No, that's how I call you," Mulder responded, observing him carefully. Steven was a bit overweight. Fresh from the Academy. Younger than Scully. Black. Bearded. A perfect combination of everything Mulder was sure Scully would never fall for. And yet, here he was!

"Why?" the guy just wouldn't let go.

"Because for her you have to be," Mulder informed him. "She deserves nothing less. And if you hurt her in any way, on purpose or not, you're gonna have to deal with me."

"Whoa, man, slow down! Aren't you being a little overprotective?"

"Scully is my partner. It's my job to protect her. So no, I'm not."

"I can see why she didn't want me to come down here… Well… We were supposed to meet in my office, but she's late and it's not like her, so I figured I should check here, maybe."

"As you can see, she isn't here," Mulder kept his unfriendly attitude. The office was heated, and not from the heaters.

"Where is she?" Steven wanted to know. Nosy little bastard! It took all the self-control Mulder had not to punch him in the face.

"We just had a baby, so she took her home."

"You WHAT?!"

"We. Had. A. Baby," Mulder repeated slowly, enjoying torturing the young man. He wasn't a racist, but for this guy he was willing to make an exception. "…left at our office's door. Scully got herself assigned as the baby's protector and went home with her."

"Oh!" Steven was left speechless for a moment. "Ok. I see. Well, in that case it's perfectly understandable why she forgot about our plans. Never mind, I'll go to her place then, see if she needs any help… Thank you, Agent Mulder. It was a… pleasure meeting you."

"Likewise," Mulder said, not taking his eyes off him.

The word pleasure just got a whole new meaning.


	3. Chapter 2

Somehow, and even he wasn't quite sure how (or why), Mulder made it to Scully's apartment before Mr. Perfect. He had rushed up the stairs because the lift was too slow, and by the time he was knocking on Scully's door, he was breathless.

Inside, Scully frowned at the knock and approached the door to look through the peephole. The baby had just gone to sleep and Scully hoped she would stay that way for at least a few hours while she organized delivery of some of her old baby furniture from her mother. "Mulder?" she questioned as she unlocked the door. "Are the results back already?"

"No. I ah...no, they're not back yet. I just thought you might be hungry, since you missed lunch."

Scully looked down at Mulder's empty hands. "Right."

"...So can I come in?" he smiled sheepishly.

Scully raised her eyebrows but stepped aside. "You need to be quiet. She's just fallen asleep."

Mulder nodded, walking in as he wrung his hands. He knew Scully was looking at him inquisitively, but truth be told he couldn't tell her why he was here because he didn't know himself.

"...I'm just making a salad, do you want some?" she finally asked.

"Sure!"

Scully had never heard Mulder so enthusiastic about a salad before and was just about to question him when there was a knock on the door. She watched in amazement as Mulder rushed for it.

Steven was holding a bag of baby things, probably the reason Mulder had managed to beat him here. The agent frowned when Mulder opened the door instead of Scully. "...Agent Mulder."

"Agent Bryant," Mulder acknowledged.

Inside, Scully cringed, making her way to stand beside Mulder at the door. "I'm so sorry, Steve. I completely forgot."

"It's okay. Agent Mulder explained what happened. I brought you some things you might need." He held up the bag, and Mulder mentally kicked himself for showing up empty handed.

"Thank you, Steven," Scully said warmly.

Having no choice, Mulder moved from the door to let the man in. Steven deposited his bags in Mulder's hands, to free his own to embrace Scully and give her a loud, juicy kiss. Scully giggled like a schoolgirl, somewhere underneath all that beard…

"Khm," Mulder cleared his throat to remind the lovebirds of his presence and to prevent them from ripping the clothes off each other while there was still time. "Where should I put this?" he raised Steven's bags to show to what he was referring.

"You can leave them in the bedroom," Scully said shyly, taking a step away from her lover. "Just be careful not to wake Vixen."

"Vixen?" Mulder was alarmed. "You can't call her that!"

"What do you want me to call her?" Scully asked.

"Vixen is a lovely name," Steven made a completely unnecessary comment. Everything that man said sounded inappropriate to Mulder. He rushed to the bedroom, not bothering to answer Scully's question. He didn't give a damn how she called that baby, as long as it wasn't… Vixen.

The room was quiet. Mulder carefully approached the bed, placing the bags on the floor in front of it. He looked at the tiny girl peacefully sleeping in the middle, surrounded by blankets and pillows to prevent her from falling. She looked like she owned the place, and it was clear that Scully's bed would not see any action tonight. For that, Mulder was grateful to a little not-Vixen. If she really were his, he would be proud.

A part of him started to wish that she were.

He left her to rest and found Scully in the kitchen, but Mr. Perfect was nowhere around.

"I asked Steven to get some groceries," Scully answered his unspoken question. She knew him well enough to read his thoughts.

"Ok," Mulder said. He stood there and watched her chop something that he wasn't able to identify. "Do you need help with that?"

"Yeah," Scully left her work and turned to him, wiping her hands with a kitchen towel. "I do need to ask something of you, but it has nothing to do with the lunch."

"What do you need?"

"I have enough groceries to feed an army," she waved her hand as if she wanted to show him her entire kitchen. "I don't need anything from the store. I've sent Steven away because I wanted a chance to talk to you."

"Shoot," Mulder said bravely, though he felt like a coward. Scully never wanted _to talk_ with him and this didn't sound good.

She watched him carefully for a few moments, before speaking again. "I need you to be nice to Steven."

He would do anything for her. Anything but that.

"What did I say to him?" he asked warily.

"I know you, Mulder! You don't have to say anything. It's enough that you're here, during work hours, for no reason but that you apparently knew Steven was coming. Mulder, I can feel the tension from a mile away."

"I don't like him," Mulder admitted, crossing his arms defensively.

"You don't know him."

"I know his type."

"Mulder, what type? What are you talking about?"

"I…" he didn't know what to say. Was his partner really so rigid that she would ask him to prove his dislike? "What do you see in him?" he challenged.

"I see a nice, caring man," Scully responded readily, locking him in place with her gaze. "A man who makes me laugh and who I can talk to."

"Are you in love with him?"

"That is none of your business!"

"Are you, Scully?"

"Mulder… You're still my partner. Our work is still important to me. Nothing will change for you."

"Just answer my question, Scully."

"I don't know how to answer it!"

"You don't know?"

"Mulder, it's too soon. We've only been seeing each other for… I think… I think I might be… Please don't ruin this for me."

He wanted to ruin it for her. He wanted this rookie out of the picture and Scully all for himself. But that wasn't an option anymore. Either he learned to share her or he risked losing her, and that was something he couldn't afford to risk.

"Okay," he finally agreed. "I'll try."

He meant what he said. He really did. But when that Black Santa's cheery face returned with more bags and stuck his tongue in Scully again, Mulder's reason stopped working and testosterone took over, a hormone that didn't keep no promises.

Mulder was actually grateful that the baby woke just as Steven's hand moved down to caress Scully's bum. Scully offered an apologetic smile and walked towards the bedroom, both men in tow. "I think she might be hungry, could one of you-"

"I'll do it!" Steven offered quickly. He'd seen his sister make up a bottle for his nephew, and it didn't look too difficult.

Mulder clenched his teeth.

"Hello, Vixen." Scully smiled as she picked up the baby, dropping a tender kiss to her red cheek.

"You can't call her that, Scully. It sounds like a name from one of my v...one of those videos that are absolutely not mine." Mulder finished lamely, stepping away as Scully lifted the baby to see if she needed a diaper change.

"Well, no one else has given me any helpful names so far, so I just go with the name from the note," Scully shrugged.

"The note was a joke, Scully! A bad one as well."

"It's still the only name we've got," Scully shrugged again.

"Oh, she will love that when she grows up, I can tell you from the experience. Being named after an animal..." Mulder deadpanned, stepping further away as Scully lay the baby down to change her diaper.

"We probably won't even know her by then," Scully sounded sad as she offered this, and her hands stilled for a moment as she gazed down at the baby.

Mulder took a tentative step forward, placing one hand on the small of his partner's back. "Scully, she…" He nibbled his lip for a moment, looking down at the child. "What about Amelia?"

Scully shook her head immediately. "That's too much like Emily."

"That's why I picked it. She has the same button nose and wide eyes, the same pouting lips…" Mulder reached out, unable to stop himself from stroking the baby's cheek.

In the doorway, Steven watched in silence for a moment. Scully had rested her head against Mulder's shoulder and they were both gazing down at the baby. They looked like a family. Then Scully suddenly looked up at Mulder, one of those rare brilliant smiles lighting her face.

"I like it. Amelia."

"The bottle is ready," Steven announced. "Can I feed her?"

"Yes, thank you Steven," Scully sounded genuinely grateful, which pissed Mulder off. In his eyes, Steven didn't give a damn about the baby, he just used her to get in Scully's pants.

"Come to your big brother," Steven said in a terrible baby voice, while picking her up.

Brother? How old exactly was this guy, Mulder wondered.

He took the opportunity to drag Scully away from him and talk to her in private.

"This isn't going to work," he informed her in the kitchen, where "Big Brother" couldn't hear them. "I'm calling Skinner to take you off this case."

"What's gotten into you, Mulder?" Scully was confused.

"What's gotten into you, Scully?" Mulder countered. "Have you even looked at her? She's blonde, for god's sake! She looks nothing like Emily!"

"Damn it, Mulder," Scully was getting pissed. "It was your idea!"

"I was trying to prove a point!"

"Which is?"

"Which is that you lost a child you barely knew you had. I was there and I saw what it did to you. I don't want you to become too attached and end up getting hurt again."

"Are we talking about the baby now, or are we talking about Steven?" she crossed her arms, challenging him.

"I was talking about named-after-a-fox baby, but it's interesting that it reminded you of your boyfriend!"

"Cut the crap, Mulder! This is exactly why I tried to keep him away from you. As for Vixen, if she really isn't yours, why do you care how I call her?"

"Well, she isn't mine and you'll have a proof of that soon enough. Even if she was, I would never give her a female version of my hideous name! But I certainly won't let you name her after Emily either! I'm calling Skinner and I'm talking her with me."

"Taking her where?"

"To my place. Until we find a better solution."

"To your place?" Scully was skeptical. "You are going to take care of a baby by yourself?"

"She was left there for me, not you, remember?"

Scully looked as though she'd been slapped. Her face paled and he saw the fight die in her eyes before she dropped them to stare at her feet.

"Scully-" Mulder began.

"She won't take the bottle." Steven walked in, cutting Mulder off.

When Scully lifted her eyes again, she looked briefly at Mulder, eyes shining with hurt before she approached Steven to take the baby. She was silent as she walked to sit with her on the couch. The men didn't notice the tear she quickly brushed from her cheek.

Mulder dared not approach her, aware he'd gone too far. He barely even noticed Steven stood beside him until the man approached Scully and sat beside her.

"Can you teach me how to do it?"

Scully gave a forced smile, glancing up at her boyfriend before she looked back down at Vixen. "You need to rock her a little bit. I don't know why. It seems to calm her enough to take the bottle."

Steven nodded, brushing the sparse hair on the baby's head, making her shut her eyes. Scully smiled properly at this, turning to kiss his cheek. "Thank you for helping."

"Anytime you need me, I'm here." He promised, not willing to admit he'd come on his lunch break and had been due back at the office half an hour ago.

"I'll finish preparing the lunch," Mulder offered awkwardly.

"I'm not hungry anymore," Scully said sharply.

"I could eat a horse," Steven admitted. "Just like little Amelia here."

"We aren't calling her that," Scully quickly informed him.

"You changed your mind again?" Steven wondered.

Mulder remained silent, realizing he would only make a situation worse if he as much as opened his mouth. All he wanted was to protect Scully, but he only managed to hurt her instead. Story of his life.

"I am thinking Samantha," Scully said to Steven, but her eyes were fixed on Mulder. He bravely returned her gaze, giving her a slight nod. The mention of his sister's name was like a salt on the wound, but he knew he deserved it. Without a word, he turned and went to the kitchen, to prepare food for Mr. Fat here as his penance.

"How about Sophie?" he heard Steven suggest behind his back, as if anybody asked for his opinion. He closed the door behind him, before he could hear Scully's response.

Scully tried to focus on Steven talking to her, or on the baby in her arms, but she couldn't get Mulder out of her head. As usual. She had been hurt by his mention of Emily, but did she really have to mention his sister? She knew he had probably regretted his words as soon as he'd spoken them. He carried so much guilt already that she didn't need to add to it. When Mulder walked in a couple of minutes later and silently put the salad on the table, she tried to catch his eye, but he kept looking at his shoes.

The baby was almost finished now and her eyes were doing slow blinks, but every time Steven stroked her hair, she'd wake up again and give a little whimper. Mulder hovered by the couch watching this, seeing Scully just getting the baby to sleep and Steven wake her again. Would she say anything?

As the bottle was finally empty, Scully put it down and lifted the baby to burp her, Steven continuing to try and involve himself. When the baby cried sleepily for the second time at his touch, Mulder snapped suddenly, making everyone jump.

"She doesn't like you doing that!"

But this made Vixen cry louder, causing Scully to glare up at her partner. "Oh, thank you very much for that, Mulder. Very helpful of you."

"It wasn't me, it was him!"

"Grow up," was all she offered him as she walked with the baby from the room.

"Perhaps it's time you left. Three is a crowd and all that," Steven shot at Mulder as soon as Scully was out of earshot. He was insanely jealous of Dana's partner and had been since the moment they'd met. He could already see the looks they shared, the way they could talk without even speaking, the way Mulder touched Dana in the small of her back as though he had every right to. Perhaps this baby was the way he could make Dana realize she didn't want Mulder in her life.

Mulder gave no reply, but sat heavily on the armchair. _His_ armchair, the one he always sat in, the one Scully tucked the remote and sunflower seed packet into the side of when Mulder had been sick that time and she'd looked after him. "Perhaps it's you who should go. You're probably due back at the office. Can't let all that paperwork wait."

"You are probably right, I'm late already," Steven said peacefully. He didn't really want to fight, he just wanted to be left alone. Dana told him she'd been single for a while before meeting him, so this idiot had all the time in the world to seduce her, if that's what he wanted, he reminded himself.

What did he want, anyway? Steven wasn't sure Mulder himself could answer that question.

He got up, and went to grab his coat. As long as Mulder was here he wouldn't get much action with Dana, and it wasn't worth it to skip work for that. There would be plenty of opportunities to confront this lunatic, Steven was sure of it. His own partner wasn't a much more pleasant man, so Steven had some experience dealing with sexually deprived senior agents.

They never give up, for one.

"Some of us take our work seriously," he couldn't resists throwing a farewell remark. Wrong move. Mulder grabbed his arm furiously and got into his face. "Listen to me, kid! My work is my life! You have no idea about the sacrifice-"

"Let him go," Scully interrupted. Both men turned towards her, surprised to see her. They didn't notice her return, it took them by surprise, but neither of them thought to apologize, believing that it's the other one who needs to make amends.

It took them a while to notice that something was wrong. Scully just stood there and waited, but she was pale and wore an expression that neither her lover nor her top profiler partner could identify. She was clutching a piece of paper in one hand.

"Dana, what's wrong?" Steven finally asked, but Dana wasn't looking at Steven. She was Scully now, looking at Mulder.

"Who is the baby's mother?" she asked firmly.

Mulder opened his mouth to answer, but she wouldn't let him.

"Don't bother telling me you don't know," she warned. "I'm not going to ask you again."

"Scully, I…" Mulder was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"This was just faxed to me," she raised the paper. Mulder approached and took it from her.

It was a report from the FBI lab. DNA test results. Mulder wasn't a scientist, but he understood perfectly what it said.

Vixen Amelia Samantha Sophie, whoever she was and wherever she came from, genetically was his daughter.


	4. Chapter 3

Mulder paced back and forth in his basement office. He'd had a sleepless night and come into work as soon as the lab opened demanding they re-test. He was sure that his raised voice had rubbed them up the wrong way, because he didn't think results had ever taken this long before. He even considered calling Scully to get her to hurry them up, but though he dialed her number, he couldn't bring himself to go through with it.

Finally his computer beeped, indicating there was a new email, and Mulder moved so fast to his seat that it skidded a little to the side. Moving his mouse, he was confronted with the results. Right there on the bright screen. The results from yesterday were correct.

He was a father.

...

When Scully arrived to the office, she found him sitting at his desk with his face in his hands. A pencil fell from the ceiling right on his head, but he didn't move an inch.

"Mulder," she said, but he didn't respond. With a sigh, she placed the baby's carrier on the floor and pulled up a chair across from him.

"Mulder," she repeated. Her voice was soft and gentle, without a trace of judgement. He finally lifted his head and looked at her, with the expression of a drowning man.

"She's mine," he said with desperation.

"I know," Scully confirmed softly.

"I…" he started, searching for the right words for an impossible situation he was in. "I don't remember when… Or how… Or… Scully, is it possible to forget such a thing?"

"It's possible, Mulder, but you would have to suffer from some kind of a neurological or psychological condition, which we both know is not the case, and it wasn't the case at the time of this child's conception."

"So the only explanation is that I knocked up a stranger and am lying about it," Mulder concluded bitterly.

"No," Scully disagreed. "I don't care how it looks like, I know it's not the truth."

"Scully, you are a rational, logical person."

"Yes, I am. I am also your partner, and your friend, Mulder. You are not the kind of a person who would do such a thing and I trust your word. If you say you remained celibate, I believe you."

"How can you believe in me, when I don't believe myself anymore?" Mulder's head dropped into his hands again. Scully reached across the desk and pulled his hands down from his face.

"Mulder," she told him. "I was in the same position as you are now. When I found Emily I… I can't describe how I felt. We've been here before, and if I was a man I would have doubted myself as well. Who's to say that this child wasn't made by the same people, or someone like them?"

"We have to find them, Scully!" Mulder's energy and determination suddenly returned at the thought. "We have to find them and stop them, whatever it is that they're doing."

"There's something we've got to do first."

"What?"

"We have to decide what to do with her."

"What would you do, Scully?"

"You already know the answer to that question. You know what I did for Emily and how much I fought to keep her. But none of that matters here. This is your call and you have to make the decision that is right for you."

Mulder nodded and sighed heavily, then stood up abruptly. He braced himself and went to the baby carrier where the tiny girl slept peacefully. He just stood there and watched her for a long moment.

"She's mine, Scully," he finally said with a resignation and heaviness in his voice. "I can't turn my back on her. I can't let her fall into the wrong hands and be used as an experiment or who knows what. But I don't know how to do this. I don't know anything about babies and I never imagined I would have to do it alone."

"You're not alone."

Mulder turned to look at Scully again, his eyes shining with an emotion she couldn't quite recognize. He wanted to tell her that he couldn't look after a child, he didn't know how to be a father. What might happen if her mother came back after he'd fallen in love with the child? So many thoughts and questions, but all he managed to get out was a whispered, "I'm scared."

Scully stepped forward, placing a warm hand to his cheek, and suddenly his heart stopped racing.

"I can help you." Scully offered softly, stroking her thumb over his cheek. What it must have cost him to admit that out loud.

"...What if I can't protect her, like I couldn't protect Samantha. Like I couldn't protect you."

Scully felt a sharp pain in her heart at his words, and found herself suddenly pulling Mulder down so she could hug him tightly, whispering fiercely in his ear, "You've always protected me, Mulder. And I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to help you, and she is going to be okay. We are all going to be okay."

They stayed that way for a long time, Scully holding Mulder tightly. It was finally the baby who broke the silence with a soft cry. Mulder stepped away, eyes down, waiting for Scully to pick her up and comfort her, but without a word Scully reached out for Mulder's hand and led it to the baby carrier.

Once Vixen felt his warm, large, safe hand resting on her middle, she grew quiet, just gazing up with unfocused eyes at the man above her.

Mulder looked at Scully with amazement, and all she could do was smile at him. "I think she likes you."

"...I'm not calling her Vixen."

Scully's laugh broke the tension in the room. "She's your baby, you can call her whatever you want."

"Dana the second?"

"Except that." She added with a smile as Mulder tentatively reached into the carrier to pick Vixen up. "Don't forget to hold her head. Like that." She advised. Though she smiled, though this felt like a happy moment, she also felt a leaden weight in her heart that she couldn't quite understand.

"We will all be okay." She repeated, rubbing Mulder's arm, though this time the words were said more to herself. "We'll be okay."

She had said those same words to Emily, but it wasn't ok. It was all a lie in the end. Emily died, and she died in pain.

Then Mulder had told her about her ova, the stolen ova that wasn't supposed to be viable, but it just might have been and it was worth a shot. One last chance. One last failure as a potential mother.

"Never give up on a miracle," Mulder had told her then, and she kissed him and hugged him, then cried in his embrace for ages.

Now the tiny miracle was left at her office's door, a real, healthy, strong, adorable, precious miracle.

But it wasn't hers.

In the end, Mulder was the one who got it, not Scully. Mulder, who didn't want a miracle, but believed in it more than enough for both of them.

Not Scully, who never learned how to properly believe in anything.

"They didn't let you adopt Emily," Mulder interrupted her thoughts. "How the hell am I supposed to qualify as a potential adopter for Vixen? It's never going to work. They won't let me keep her."

Scully just smiled in response. It confused him for a second. Was she enjoying his fears of losing a daughter?

"What?" he asked.

"You called her Vixen," Scully's smile widened.

"I…" he thought for a moment, but then shook his head bitterly. "It doesn't matter what I call her if she isn't going to be around for long, does it?"

"It's not the same, Mulder," Scully said softly, touched by his concern for the baby.

"What do you mean?" his voice was full of hope.

"Emily had legal parents and was legally an orphan. But this child is not in the system. There's no birth certificate, no name, no way to trace her mother… We have a note saying that she's yours, and a DNA test that proves it. You don't need to adopt her, Mulder. She's already yours. All you have to do is legally register her."

He nodded. "Give her a name and take her home."

Scully could hear the nervousness in his voice and could see how unsure he looked while he watched the baby in his arms as she gave slow, sleepy blinks. Stepping forward, she rested a hand on his arm. "Mulder, I can help you. We're partners after all. I've got your back."

"But we're work partners, Scully. I can't ask you to get involved in all of this," he sighed.

"I'm already involved, and you didn't ask me, I offered. More than a partner, Mulder, you're my friend." Scully offered. "Try rocking her a little, it will help her fall asleep."

Mulder nodded his head, beginning to rock the baby gently. As Vixen's eyes shut and her lips pursed before she relaxed in his arms, Mulder found himself smiling at Scully who smiled back.

"Agent Mulder, I-" Steven broke the moment they'd shared, waking Vixen in the process. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Scully replied without looking at him, instructing Mulder to begin rocking again before she turned to her boyfriend. "Is there something you wanted?"

"I, ah-" He'd come to talk to Mulder, to try and reason with him about this whole situation. "I thought you said you were staying home today."

"I just came in to talk to Mulder, but this one didn't get much sleep last night, so I don't want to make her over-tired." Scully offered with a smile, brushing hair from the baby's forehead.

Apparently too focused on the baby to even notice Steven was there, Mulder gave a sudden huff. "Scully, I live in a bachelor pad and I work all hours. How the hell am I supposed to look after a baby?"

Giving Steven an apologetic smile, Scully turning back to her partner to reassure him. Steven watched them for a few moments before he slipped from the room with a sigh.

He didn't go back to his office, though. He stood there in the hallway, waiting for… Well, he wasn't sure what he was waiting for. Talking to Mulder seemed pointless now, the guy was a crackpot who didn't listen to anyone. Steven was asking around, and everybody advised him to stay away from Spooky. He learned that Mulder once came to work so drugged that he viciously attacked his boss in front of numerous witnesses. He did other crazy things, like faking his own suicide and going after the high-ranking government people.

Steven wanted to stay away and mind his own business, he really did, but it was too late. He was already in love with Spooky's brilliant, sexy partner and giving up on her wasn't an option.

Dana found him like that, leaning on the wall and lost in thoughts.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

"Waiting for you," he smiled, all his worries temporarily forgotten at the sight of a loved one.

"I've told you I can't stay…"

"No, I know, I know. I just wanted to give you a kiss before you go."

"I can't argue with that," Dana smiled. She placed the baby carrier on the floor, to be able to wrap her arms around Steven's neck. He smelled so good that she started to feel dizzy from overstimulation. Steven's arms sneaked underneath her coat, stopped possessively on her lower back, then pulled her closer. She closed her eyes and let his lips descend onto hers.

They both started to breathe faster, hungry for each other.

"I've never been with a white woman before," Steven whispered when he moved from her lips to her soft, pale neck.

"I've never been with a black man," Dana whispered back.

He chuckled and raised his head, trying to lock his eyes with hers.

"Dana Scully," he purred. "Are you trying to avoid telling me you've been with a white woman?"

"No!" she chuckled.

"Mmm…" his lips returned to her neck, sucking the delicate skin. "Why not? They taste delicious!"

"I'm not into women," she tried to push him away, but her body refused to cooperate, clinging to him like her life depended on this man.

"What are you into?" her lover asked, reluctantly letting her go.

"You," she smiled, fixing his hair. "Only you. But I've got to go."

"Can I come after work?"

"Not tonight, I'm afraid. I promised Mulder to… help him with something."

"With the baby."

"No, it's…"

"It's his daughter. I know."

"How do you know that?"

"Everybody knows, Dana. Information leaks, people talk…"

"Oh… I'm sorry I haven't told you, but…"

"You couldn't betray his trust by sharing it with me. I understand. And I'm glad because it means I can trust you with things that I don't want Spooky to know."

"What things?"

"Things I'm gonna do to you."

"Umm, like what?"

"Call me after you're done with…"

"…Shopping. We are going shopping for the baby because Mulder doesn't have anything and doesn't know what to buy. He desperately needs my help. I'll probably be too tired afterwards."

"Tomorrow is Saturday. How about I come over and cook a romantic dinner for us?"

"I'd like that."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Vixen started to complain so they kissed once more and Dana left with the baby. Steven looked after her to make sure she wasn't going to turn around and come back, then he returned to her office and knocked determinately.

"It's open," Spooky's voice answered.

Steven walked in, observing Mulder rifling through the filing cabinet. Without turning, the agent questioned, "Back already, Scully?"

"She's gone home."

Mulder spun around, the file in his hand falling and scattering it's contents over the floor in front of him. As he bent to gather them, he continued to look up at Steven. "Is there something you wanted?" It came out sharply, wondering why the hell he would come here if he knew Scully was elsewhere.

"I came to talk to you. To warn you."

Mulder gave a quiet snort, standing again. He was pleased to notice he was slightly taller than Steven. "About what?"

"This is your mess, and I think you've caused Scully enough pain and heartache. I want you to tell her you don't need her help with the baby."

Mulder was torn. He always felt guilty about what he'd put Scully through, but who the hell was this guy to come in and have a go at him about it? "You obviously don't know her as well as you think you do." Mulder shot back. "It was her who offered to look after the baby in the first place."

"I don't care. I want you to tell her you don't want her help!"

"Why?"

"You know as well as I do how she feels about children. This isn't fair on her."

"Oh, so it's Scully's feelings your worried about and not the fact she doesn't have time to spend with you doing whatever the hell it is you two do together. Do you even have anything in common?"

Steven folded his arms defensively before his face grew smug. "We spend a lot of time in bed together. She's pretty feisty under the sheets."

Mulder drew in a deep breath as he stepped forward, his jaw clenching and unclenching. "Do not talk about Scully like that. To anyone."

"Upset because you've not managed to fuck her yet?"

Mulder's fist connected with Steven's jaw so hard the skin on his knuckles split and Steven's body hit the wall with force. "Do NOT talk about Scully like that. Get out."

Though Steven went to speak again, Mulder bellowed "OUT!"


	5. Chapter 4

Mulder watched Scully park and take the baby from the car. He knew he should go there to help her, but he was paralyzed. With fear, amazement, worry, sadness, joy… Some of that. Or the other…

He didn't know and it didn't matter. Scully was literally glowing and the sight of her with a baby simply took his breath away. How could Steven not see how happy this made her? How could he demand from Mulder to take that away from her?

He imagined something like this during the long, lonely nights while he waited for the results of Scully's IVF treatment. He wondered what it would feel like seeing his partner with a child, his child. A part of him was excited by the idea of fatherhood, even if the baby would legally be hers and hers alone.

Now he got to watch her with his baby, but his alone. The unfairness of that was overwhelming. It should've been hers, and even though it wasn't, Vixen still needed a mother figure. Mulder couldn't wish for a better role model for his unexplained daughter and he found himself wondering if he could let Scully adopt her.

Steven would never allow it, but Steven could go to hell!

"Hi," Scully approached him. Judging by her warm smile, Steven hadn't had the opportunity to tell her about his fight with Mulder yet.

A fight that he lost, Mulder remembered with a naughty pleasure, returning the smile.

"Hi," he said, placing his hand on her back. "Let's take this G-baby shopping!"

"Do you want to hold her?" Scully offered, though her grip on the baby remained tight, and she dropped a kiss to mused hair.

Mulder found himself smiling at the image, allowing himself to daydream for a little longer, until he realised suddenly that Scully was still talking.

"You'll probably need a carrier. She seemed to like being held. Let's try this store first. Have you got a budget in mind?" Scully asked, glancing up to Mulder as they walked through the entrance to a baby store. Seeing the overwhelmed look on his face, Scully took pity on him and passed the baby to his arms carefully. "You hold the baby and I will make a list of items you'll need and their price."

Mulder nodded mutely, his eyes staring down into Vixen's wide, curious ones. "Scully, what if-" he began, but when he looked up she was already marching towards the other end of the store like she meant business. Mulder quickly scurried after her. "Where is this all going to fit?"

"Your bedroom? For the mean time, anyway." Scully reached out to glance at a tag on a cot before scribbling something on a piece of paper. Before he could reply, a sales assistant with a grin that was too bright approached them.

"You're the first father I've seen in this store in weeks!" She directed at Mulder. "You must love having such a supportive partner," she offered Scully, then quickly turned her attention to Vixen. Mulder felt a little smug when Vixen whimpered and curled a bit tighter into him, and quickly moved her away from the woman's grip, lifting her to hold her upright against his chest as he had seen Scully do.

"Yeah, she loves having me," Mulder smiled mischievously. "Though her boyfriend isn't impressed."

He couldn't decide what he enjoyed more, Scully's violent blushing or the clerk's awkward glance and mumbled apology about needing to assist another buyer.

"Mulder!" Scully hissed.

"What?" Mulder feigned innocence. "It's the truth."

He was quickly pulled out of the shop, with all the strength his partner's little body could muster. He knew he'd made a bad decision when Scully turned to him looking pissed off, but worse, near tears. "Scully,I-"

"Steven doesn't want me to help you with this, Mulder, and I am putting my relationship on the line for you, so the least you could do is take this seriously! If you can't do it for me, then do it for your daughter."

Eager to try and ease the sadness he'd been the cause of, Mulder reached out his free hand to run down her arm before he squeezed her hand. "He thinks the world of you, Scully, and he knows what an idiot I am. You're not putting your relationship in danger, I promise."

Scully smiled faintly, pulling her hand away from his to run Vixen's back. "You're not an idiot, Mulder. Let's try the store down the road, it's bigger so there'll be more choice." With that she turned on her heel and Mulder had no choice but to follow her, walking much slower than his usual pace as he alternated watching Scully and Vixen.

…

"My mum used to have one like this in the nursery," Scully sighed happily half an hour later as she sat in a grand mahogany rocking chair. "At least three of us kids could fit in the chair with her when she read to us." Scully smiled to herself, running her hands over the polished wood. When she received no reply, she looked up to find Mulder gazing at her silently with an unreadable look on his face. "Mulder?"

Mulder blinked finally and leaned forward to put Vixen in her arms. "I'll buy it for you."

"Mulder! It's too expensive and we are here to buy you things, not me." Scully looked down at Vixen's pursed lips. "She is going to need feeding soon. Have we got everything from the list I gave you?"

Mulder looked at the list, then at the bags on the floor, and sighed miserably. He had no idea what half of the items were for.

"I can't do this," he said, defeated. "I just can't."

"Mulder," Scully wanted to encourage him, but he wouldn't let her.

"Scully, I can't!" he insisted. "I don't know anything about the babies, especially not girls! Even if she survives the childhood with me, how am I ever going to teach her how to dress, apply makeup, or… or… or what periods are all about? For god's sake!"

"I think I'll be more than able to help with that," Scully said, more amused than worried about his breakdown. She's seen new parents freak out more than once in her large family, and Mulder wasn't nearly as clueless as he thought he was.

"You have your own life, Scully. Steven… Your family… She needs a mother."

"Her mother didn't want her, Mulder," Scully reminded him. "But she has a wonderful, caring father, who will make sure that she never lacks anything in her life. I can tell you, from a daughter's perspective, that this is one hell of a lucky little girl. You have nothing to worry about. And one day, who knows, you might meet a nice woman and have a complete family for her."

"That's not going to happen."

"You never know, Mulder."

"I am far too busy for dating as it is, and with a child to take care of, I will have no time at all."

"You never know," Scully insisted. "I am just as busy as you are, and I still met a…"

"…a wonderful young man at the team building seminar that I refused to attend," Mulder bitterly finished her sentence. "Yeah. I know."

"Mulder-" Scully began, but quickly decided to avoid the topic. Mulder was so good at feeling sorry for himself, and she didn't want to feed into that. "Come on. We can put the stuff in your car and then I will come back to your place to help you put it together."

"She's going to stay with me straight away?!" Mulder looked panicked and Scully could see her Saturday's romantic dinner with Steven getting less and less likely as the day wore on.

"Let's just get it set up for now." Was all she offered, rubbing his arm soothingly.

…

An hour later Mulder was sat on the couch feeding Vixen from a bottle, alternating between gazing at her and at Scully. "She's enjoying it!"

Scully nodded, a smile on her lips. "She likes you. She's feeling relaxed."

"Maybe-" Mulder began. "Maybe I could try with her overnight? If you could stay and help me."

"You don't need me, Mulder. You know what to do, even if you think you don't."

"I will always need you, Scully." Mulder replied softly, his eyes glued to the baby. Scully found herself unable to reply and instead pushed herself to her feet.

"I'll finish the crib so you can put her down once she's finished." But as Scully went to turn away, Mulder shifted the baby in his arms and Scully suddenly noticed his hand and rushed back to his side. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Mulder replied instantly, pulling his hand from her grasp under the pretense of adjusting Vixen's bottle.

"Mulder," Scully warned, taking it back so she could assess whether it was broken. "Did you hit a wall or something? When did you even do this, I only left you for a couple of hours earlier!" When Mulder remained silent, Scully's eyes flicked to his face and the guilt she saw there made her heart sink. "Please tell me you didn't."

"Scully,I-"

"You hit Steven, didn't you?" she rose from the couch and stared down at him.

"You've spent the whole afternoon shopping with me and only now you've noticed?" he mocked her, annoyed now, placing Vixen in the baby carrier. "How amazingly observant of you, for an FBI agent!"

"Don't change the subject, Mulder," Scully was firm.

"I'm not…" Mulder started to defend himself, but decided against it. He didn't think he did anything wrong, after all. "So what if I did? What if I hit Mr. Perfect? The son of a bitch had it coming!"

"How so?" Scully crossed her arms, demanding explanation.

"Forget it," Mulder waved his hand dismissively, starting to cool off, while Scully was only getting hotter.

"Steven is my damn boyfriend!" she practically yelled. "So if he did something to warrant that kind of treatment, I think I deserve to know!"

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Mulder replied icily, avoiding her gaze.

Scully stared at him in disbelief, and then made a decision. "Fine. I guess I'll ask him, then."

She went to grab Mulder's phone, but he stopped her. "If you must know, he said you were…"

"What, Mulder?"

"He said you were wild… in bed!"

"Oh…" Scully was left speechless for a moment. She was starting to worry that Steven really did something terrible and unforgivable, so Mulder's admission came as a huge relief.

Men! They were just being men! Stubborn, competitive, testosterone-filled, immature idiots! Nothing more, nothing less.

"He said that?" she asked with a shy smile. To Mulder's deepest terror she didn't sound offended, no, she was glowing with pride, for god's sake!

"So you are ok with that? You are really ok with that? Because, damn it, I'm not! I won't let anybody-"

"See me as a woman? As a desirable sexual being?"

"Is that how you wanna be seen? Like… Like… some kind of a slut!"

"So Steven was right about you."

"About WHAT?!"

"About you treating me as some kind of an untouchable Virgin Mary! I'm having an adult relationship that I enjoy and I refuse to feel ashamed of my pleasure just because you don't want to accept that I am not one of your… guys."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I am a woman with needs, despite your overwhelming failure to recognize it."

"You think I don't see you as a woman? Is that it? Is that what this is all about?"

"This isn't about you, Mulder. Steven treats me as a woman and that's all that matters here."

"I've always seen you as a woman, Scully."

"Just…" she was suddenly very uncomfortable. The conversation they were having was way out of hand at this point, and they weren't even used to talking about personal stuff like that. It was a dangerous ground to explore under such intense circumstances. She couldn't risk alienating Mulder, especially not now when Vixen was in the picture. She couldn't risk losing that baby girl, already loving her as if she was her own. "Just forget about it."

She turned away from Mulder, but he grabbed her arm and spun her back, so close to him that she could feel his breath on her forehead. She gasped in surprise and before he knew what he was doing, his head was dangerously lowered and his tongue stuck deep into her mouth.

Before she knew what she was doing, her hands were tightly wrapped around his neck.


	6. Chapter 5

Steven waited nervously outside Dana Scully's apartment door. He knew they hadn't organised to see one another until the evening, but he'd been thinking about her non-stop overnight. If he could only see her now for a few minutes he was sure it would soothe him.

Scully opened the door hesitantly, and when she saw who it was her eyebrows shot up as though she was surprised to see him, then she winced and reached out to touch the bruise on his cheek tenderly. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." He turned his face to kiss her palm. "How was shopping?"

Scully glanced over her shoulder into the apartment at something and then stepped aside to let him in. "It was okay." Was all she offered. "What are you doing here? You didn't say breakfast, did you? My head is a muddle at the moment."

"No, I said dinner, but I missed you." He reached forward to tug a section of her hair gently. "It might be a muddled head, but it's also a beautiful one."

Scully blushed, her eyes glancing at the bruise again. "I've spoken to..him about that. He won't do anything else."

Steven wasn't entirely convinced, but for the sake of peace he nodded his head. "Where's the little one?"

"Staying with her father overnight to see how things will go," Scully sighed and Steven realised she was hugging a baby blanket to her chest.

"Do you miss her?"

Scully nodded, staring down at her feet as though she was embarrassed.

"Well, how about I try and take your mind off it?" Steven put a finger to her chin and tilted it up, smiling at her. "We can do whatever you want."

"I was thinking about going back to bed," Scully tried to smile, but it came out more like a painful grimace. She felt weak, defeated. The ground was dangerously slipping underneath her feet and there was nothing to hold onto.

Mulder. She couldn't get Mulder out of her head. His lips, his tongue, the bulge in his pants… The way she instinctively responded, and how it felt natural, after years of friendship, of caring, respect and tension, life and death, after all those cases that there were no words to describe and no way to truly share the experience with anybody else…

But then her brain switched on again and she pushed him away in terror, panting and shaking like a leaf on the wind…

What had he done?

What had she done?

"You need to leave now," Mulder told her, with his back turned to her. That was the hardest part, not being allowed to see his eyes. They could read so much from each other's gaze, and being denied that felt like she was suddenly blind.

"Mulder," her voice came as a whisper and broke, unable to continue.

"Scully, you need to leave," he repeated more firmly.

"Ok," she nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Ok. I'll just take the baby and…"

"Leave the baby! Just go!"

She left without another word. There was nothing else to do, not at that moment. And now Steven was leaving, the man she loved and whose support and advice she desperately needed, and yet she couldn't tell him what happened. Not unless she wanted to lose him too.

"Don't go," she managed to ask.

Steven turned in surprise. "You just said you wanted to go to bed."

"I didn't say alone," she clarified, with a hint of a weak smile.

"What about your headache?"

"It's not that kind of headache."

Steven smiled, dropped his coat and scooped her into his arms, turning around with her for the full circle, until she started to giggle.

Scully loved that about him, how he made her laugh in unexpected ways. He made her feel young and carefree, like nothing was ever wrong in her world, like aliens and monsters never existed.

She needed him now, to wash the taste of Mulder from her mouth and distract her head from replaying the words she said to her partner. What Mulder did was wrong, but the more she thought about everything she had said to him, the more convinced she was that she was the one to provoke it.

"I love you," she said when Steven pushed her onto the bed, hectically removing her clothes. He stopped for a moment and looked into her eyes, to see if she really meant it. They've never said it before, and if Steven found out about her betrayal, she may never have a chance to tell him. It was now or never.

He smiled and lowered himself on top of her, washing her with hot and quick little kisses. "I love you too, Special Agent… What was your name again?"

She giggled again.

* * *

An hour later Scully was still giggling, but now for an entirely different reason,for Steven was brushing his hand up and down her side, tickling her gently. "No! I'm too sleepy!"

Chuckling, Steven flattened his palm and soothed the bare skin instead. Resting on his side, he looked down at Scully who lay flat on her back gloriously naked and her chest still flushed. "It was that boring, was it?"

Scully opened one eye to check his face and then promptly closed it again. "Maybe. Maybe we need to try again to perfect it."

"Oh, I see how it is. You just want me for my body!"

"Yep." Scully giggled, rolling them over so he lay flat on his back and she could straddle his thighs. "Ready, cowboy?"

"Always."

* * *

Scully woke to a room that was filled with midday sunlight, her body aching pleasantly but her mind already beginning to race with thoughts. "Steven?" She called hopefully. No response. He knew. Somehow, he knew what had happened. Or he had left because she'd said the 'L' word. Scrambling from the bed, Scully pulled her silk dressing gown on as she raced from the room...running straight into a broad, naked chest.

"Where's the fire?" Steven questioned with a laugh, just managing to keep the coffee he'd been bringing her from tipping. When Scully just hugged him tightly, his smile turned into a frown of concern and he brought his free arm up to wrap around her. "Dana?"

"I thought you'd left." Came her muffled reply.

"Without my pants and phone?" He teased softly, glancing over her shoulder to see where she had neatly folded his clothes and placed them on a chair.

Scully smiled faintly, pulling back a little to brush hair from her face. "Sorry."

"It's okay. It's nice to know you'd be that upset if I left. Kinda makes me feel good about myself, you know? You can cry if you want, sob if you need, but I know something that might be of better help," he winked.

"What?" he had her attention, all right.

"A good, thorough massage."

"Are you offering to be my masseur?" Scully asked flirty, warming up to the idea.

"I'm offering my back," Steven said naughtily.

"Your back?"

"Yeah," he deadpanned. "For you to massage."

"I'm pretty sure receiving massage is what helps, not giving it," she chuckled.

"Well, you've got it all wrong," Steven feigned seriousness. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back on the bed, lying on his belly next to her.

Reluctantly, Scully climbed on his ass and started to knead his soft dark flesh. Mulder's back is so muscular.

The monotonous work made her start daydreaming soon. She thought about the man underneath her, and the months spent with him that felt like a lifetime.

At first he was a mistake, a guilty pleasure, a forbidden indiscretion.

They were paired together because neither of their partners deemed a team-building seminar worthy of their time. The seminar lasted for a full three days, three days of learning to trust, open up and communicate with the person who often had your life in their hands. By the end of it, Steven and Scully were just as successful as all those other couples, the actual partners. Maybe even more. They've explored each other in many more ways than their tasks would ever dare to require.

Scully wondered what it might have been like if Mulder had gone. Would she still have spoken to Steven? She liked to think so, but she knew that she wouldn't have. Either he would know Mulder's reputation and wouldn't have approached them, or Mulder would have said something to put him off. How many other things had she missed out on because of that man?

"Dana?" Steven questioned when her hands lay still on his back for several minutes.

"What do you think of the X-files?"

Steven tried to roll over to see her face, but she stayed pinning him to the mattress. "...I think it's…"

"I have spent years of my life working there when I could have been somewhere else. I had so many options and now no one will touch me." Scully slipped off him and instead lay beside him on her stomach, almost nose to nose.

"I think that nothing, absolutely nothing, Dana Katherine Scully chooses to do would ever be a waste of time. You saw, you see something there that makes you want to stay."

Mulder, Scully's mind cries unbidden. "You don't think I'm frosty? Spooky? Demeaning? I hear what people say about me."

"I think you're so full of love and warmth, and I feel sorry that those people have never had the privilege of knowing you properly. What's brought this on? My naked back makes you think of work?" He teased softly, smiling at her.

"No," she smiled back. "I was just remembering how we met. How pissed I was at Mulder for not showing up, but if he did I wouldn't have been paired with you and maybe we wouldn't even have a chance to talk."

"No, we wouldn't," Steven agreed, his mood shifting at the mention of Mulder. "He wouldn't let anybody near you…"

"Steven…" Scully pleaded, annoyed at herself for mentioning her partner. She was doing so well with forgetting the last night, well enough to forget the tin ice she was walking on.

"Has he ever tried something with you?"

"It's… It's not like that between us. It's never been about that."

"But you know he's in love with you, don't you?"

"Mulder? Did he say that to you?"

"No, and he didn't have to. You may be blind, but I'm not. No man would do this for a woman," he pointed to his cheek. "Unless he's seriously interested in her."

Scully closed her eyes and sighed miserably. "We are just partners."

"He is a lunatic."

"Well, he's my lunatic and you have to accept that," she sat up, annoyed, turning her back to him.

"Your lunatic?" Steven sounded surprised. She turned her head to look at him.

"My friend," she corrected herself. "I meant to say friend."

"Just a friend?" Steven insisted.

"No," Scully was firm. "Not just a friend. It's not a consolation prize, or something less than a real thing… Being a faithful friend can be the hardest thing in the world, and Mulder has gone out of his way for me more times than I can remember. When I'm in danger he will not stop, he will not sleep, and he will never give up on me, even when everybody else, including my family, does. He'll gladly die for me, and I'll gladly die for him. There's nothing just about friendship like that."

"I don't like him, Dana."

"I know you don't. Nobody does. My colleagues despise him, my brother can't stand him… I'm not asking you to like him, but I am asking you accept him. I promise I won't let him come between us. I love you, Steven, and if he ever asks me to choose, I will choose you. But if you ever ask me to choose… I will have to pick him. So please, don't ever ask that of me."

Steven sat up with a heavy sigh. He snuggled to her back, wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Okay, Dana," he said in surrender. They sat in silence for a while, Scully thinking of Mulder and Steven worrying she was. Finally, he asked softly, "Dinner?"

"Hmm?" Scully turned to him, her eyes not focused on the moment.

"Why don't we go out to dinner?"

"I thought you were going to cook for me?"

"My roommate has the reservations that he can't use, so I thought you and I could use them. I bet I can bring out your smile again."

Scully already found herself smiling a little, stroking his cheek. "Ok. But I need to go and shower so I can look my very best for you."

"I think you already look perfect, but do as you wish." He lay back, spreading his arms across the bed to watch her in silence as She sauntered towards the bathroom. As soon as she was out of sight Stevens smile dropped and he sat up with a sigh, reaching for his phone. He'd suspected Dana was close to her partner, but he hasn't realised how close they were and it made him nervous. Could he allow himself to get closer to someone who might dump him at any given moment? He knew she had feelings for him, but he suspected that, at least right now, her feelings for her partner were stronger. Her partner and his baby. Perhaps that was his way in. Jumping to his feet, Steven rushed to the bathroom. "Room for two?"

"Come in," she said, but she wasn't in a shower. She was standing in front of a sink, lost in thoughts while holding a little blue dress.

Steven sighed, not knowing what to say. He wished she would just forget about this kid. It wasn't hers, after all. Granted, the poor baby didn't have a mother and had an asshole for a father, but it wasn't his problem. He wasn't ready to share his pretty woman with a baby, especially not Mulder's baby! He wasn't even sure if he ever wanted to have kids at all.

"This used to be my dress," Scully smiled nostalgically. "My brother thought pink was for pussies, so he occasionally convinced mom to buy me blue or green clothes. He refused to babysit a girly looking baby."

Steven chuckled. Scully raised the dress in front of him and spread it in the air.

"Can you imagine I was this small?"

"You didn't grow all that much," he teased her.

"I didn't have to. I became an FBI agent instead. So watch it, cowboy, because I'm armed."

"So am I," he said seductively, sneaking his hand underneath her shirt.

"Um, is that right? And where do you keep your weapon, if I may ask?"

He pressed his hips onto her belly. "Here."

"Oh boy," Scully gasped. "Don't you ever get tired?"

"Of you? Never!"

* * *

An hour and a half later Scully was giggling behind her hand as Steven stared at the restaurant in dismay.

"He didn't tell you?" Scully asked, cutting off another giggle as Steven shook his head miserably. "Let's go in. It will be fun!" Scully walked towards the cowboy themed restaurant with a grin.

"We are over dressed." Steven pointed out, though a smile was starting to twitch on his lips.

"It will make it extra fun! Come on, cowboy." Scully tugged Steven's tie and walked into the building. "I might even be convinced to take a ride on the bucking bull, if you're lucky."

"Remind me to bring you to terrible restaurants more often!" Steven rested his hands on her hips as they came to a stop by the desk.

"This? Terrible? This is 5 star dining compared to some of the places Mulder takes me to." Scully noted. "I bet they don't even sell those disgusting burgers he always has. I don't know how his arteries have managed to stay unplugged. He said once-" Scully turned to Steven, her smile fading when she saw the look on his face. "Sorry, I...sorry."

"Look," he sighed heavily. "I know you spend a lot of your time with Mulder. He's your partner, a friend even, I get it. I just wish that when you're on a date with me, you only thought about me."

"You're right," Scully shook her head lightly in an effort to exorcise Mulder from her mind. She knew it was in vain, and that she would be bailing on her date in an instant if her partner called with one of his emergencies.

It was stronger than her. Mulder had the ability to drag her away from family dinners, holidays or warm beds in the middle of the night, despite of all her attempts to refuse.

Never from a date, though, but that probably had more to do with the recent non-existence of her love life than with Mulder's consideration.

Anyway, he hadn't called all day and she now found herself wondering why. He would have every reason not to call after their little… indiscretion, if it wasn't for the fact that he had her baby with him.

His baby, she corrected herself bitterly.

"Dana?" Steven's voice demanded her attention and she forced a smile at him. "If you're not sure about this place…"

"No, it's fine," she quickly assured him. "It's the perfect place, as long as I'm with you."

Contented, Steven leaned down to kiss her. She closed her eyes in enjoyment, until another voice caused her to abruptly open them again.

"Agent Scully! Agent Bryant!"

"Hello, sir," they turned in unison, coming face to face with her boss.

"I wasn't aware that you two… hang out together," Skinner carefully observed them, barely preventing a huge grin in his eyes from reaching his mouth.

"Yeah, we just…" Scully started but didn't know how to continue.

"... came here for dinner," Steven came to her rescue. "What brings you here, sir?"

"I'm meeting with some friends," Skinner pointed towards a table not so far from their. Fancy restaurant or not, romance was suddenly off the menu.

"How is the baby, Scully?" Skinner asked, just when they thought he would leave them alone.

"She's with her father," Steven quickly replied.

"You found her father?!"

"Sure, it's Agent Mulder," Steven blurted before Scully had a chance to stop him. "The tests confirmed it, and the whole Bureau is talking about it. I'm surprised you haven't heard, sir."

"I don't pay attention to gossip," Skinner said firmly, looking at Scully. "I expected to hear about this from my Agent assigned to the case."

"I'm sorry, sir," Scully tried to come up with a good reason for not telling him, but she couldn't think of any. Between helping Mulder, caring for the baby and doing naked pretzels with Steven, she totally forgot about her boss and her duties towards him. There was no excuse for that.

"I expect both of you in my office, first thing Monday morning," Skinner ordered. "Not you, Agent Bryant," he clarified to Steven, turning back to Scully. "You and Agent Mulder. Together."

* * *

Mulder's weekend was nearly as fun as his partner's.

He survived the first night, the first day, and then another night without Scully, but Vixen was still crying for her and he had no idea how to calm her down.

He had tried everything. He carried her until his arms started to hurt, left her in the baby carrier until she cried herself to sleep, fed her almost every hour, alternatively sang to her and threatened her…

There was no use. Nothing could replace Scully, as Mulder was well aware of and shared the sentiment. In fact, he felt like crying as well. His hand kept instinctively reaching for the phone, but then his mind would remind him about what he did to his partner and he would lose the guts…

He knew he had no right to bother Scully, but that had never stopped him before. This time, however, it was different. This time she had a partner, a partner in love and life, instead of the one from work and darkness. Would she be pleased to hear from him? Would she even acknowledge what had passed between them?

Beside him, Vixen began to sniffle once, a sure sign she was about to cry again. Shutting his eyes tightly, Mulder pressed speed dial on his phone and held it to his ear. "...I need your help."


	7. Chapter 6

Scully wasn't sure why she hadn't invited Steven back into her apartment the night before. Their dinner had gone smoothly, as it always did, despite of her boss dining just a few tables from them. She laughed with him, as she always did. But her fingers itched to call Mulder. To check on Vixen, she assured herself. She knew that wasn't all though, and that made her decline Steven's suggestion to come up with her to her apartment. He hadn't even looked surprised.

Now early morning Scully sat in her car outside Mulder's apartment looking up at his window. She's been there for almost 2 hours and had yet to find the courage to go in. It felt like a turning point, that if she went up to that apartment something would change between them forever, only she didn't know how.

"Agent Scully?" A fist suddenly rapped on her window, making her jump.

"Agent Scully?" Byers questioned again, squinting through the window at her.

Giving an embarrassed smile, she opened her door. "Hi."

"What are you doing here? Mulder called you, too?" He questioned, gesturing to the men behind him armed with just about every bright colored child related thing in the city.

"No, I…" she looked at him in surprise, as if she was caught doing something wrong. "I thought I left something at his place, but I just found it in my car," she gestured towards the passenger's seat, that didn't have anything on it.

"So you're not coming in, then?" Byres asked, seeing as she didn't show any intention of getting out of the car.

"No, I have to… be somewhere else," she tried hard to think of where exactly, but nothing came to her mind. "I'm really in a rush. It was nice seeing you, though," she added with a smile.

"You too," Byres added, confused, but not giving it much thought. He turned to return to his friends, but Scully called him back. She had a request for him.

"Don't tell Mulder I was here," she asked. Now he looked at her more carefully, his brain cells clearly working overtime, but he still didn't question her. He simply nodded, trusting her reasons, whatever they were.

Finally, Scully closed the car door and drove away. Her eyes immediately started to swell from unshed tears and a lump formed in her throat. She realized at that moment that she wasn't needed or wanted. Mulder hadn't called her, even though he called a caring, but useless group of Gunmen. None of them had children.

But neither did she. A few days with Emily barely counted for anything at all, except for the hole left in her heart.

Vixen, or whatever Mulder eventually chooses to call her, would never be hers. It was time to accept that and stay away. It would be silly to allow herself to get even more attached to that sweet bundle of joy. Steven was right, it wasn't her place to interfere. Her lover didn't want her involved. Her partner didn't want her involved. The only person who wanted her involvement was her boss, but for all the wrong reasons.

She drove on auto-pilot, having no destination in mind. What she needed to get away from wasn't anything that could be left behind by car. Yet, she drove away, because that's what she always did. She was so good at fleeing; from her family, her lovers, her career opportunities. So used to finding herself at the beginning all over again, with a broken heart but the stubbornness of a donkey, holding her ground firmly while everything around her was falling apart. And alone. Always alone in the end.

Maybe, she thought, maybe it didn't have to be like that. Maybe, just maybe, just this once, she could choose another path, another direction. Maybe she could act like Mulder and break the rules, risk happiness for once.

She sniffed, but her cheeks were still dry. With a sudden determination, she turned her car around and started to drive in the opposite direction. She wasn't supposed to, but to hell with that! She wasn't going to spend her Sunday alone at her place, feeling sorry for herself.

She would never have children. She would never have a chance to make things right with her late father and sister, and maybe even with her living brothers, who were barely more than strangers at this point.

But she still had him. He was worth fighting for. He was worth the effort of turning another page in her life and facing her fears of intimacy and commitment. It was wrong to send him home alone last night, and she was determined to fix that, apologize and bare her soul to him.

She needed Steven, and she was on her way to him. Even though she had never been to his place before, she knew the address and the area, so it was easy to find the building.

Her heart was racing as she entered the elevator, her breathing quickening, and she almost lost the guts. The part of their agreement was to always meet at her place, never his. Just like she didn't want him to meet her partner, Steven didn't want her to meet his roommate. She didn't know why, she never asked, but she respected his wishes. She trusted Steven to have good reasons for that rule, but it was time to break it.

After all, he did it first, when he went to her office, encountered Mulder there and complicated everything as a result. It was now her turn.

Outside his front door, she took a deep breath and then nodded to herself before lifting a hand to knock. She didn't know what she'd expected, Steven waiting on the other side of the door to yank it open for her like Mulder always did, she supposed, so when she heard no movement from inside her heart began to sink. Perhaps he'd gone somewhere else last night, to someone else for comfort or love or whatever it was he got from her.

Turning away, she began a slow walk to the elevator.

"Dana Scully?"

Turning back, she found a man she didn't recognise poking his head out the door.

"...yes?"

Grinning, the man stepped out into the corridor. He wore only boxer shorts and she was ashamed to say her first thought about him was that he was well endowed.

"Steven is still in bed. Come in." He gestured back into the apartment.

If Scully hadn't been so desperate to see Steven she might have left indignantly when she felt the man sizing her up, but instead she walked inside the apartment with her chin held high. "Which room is his?"

"Would you like a coffee?" Was all he replied. "I'm just making one."

"Ah, no. Thank you. Which room is Steven's?" Scully persisted.

"He talks about you all the time, you know."

"Steven?"

"Fox."

Scully turned to the man again, surprised both that he knew Mulder and that he called him by his first name. "You know Mulder?"

"Mulder, right," the man grinned mischievously. "The old Fox isn't very fond of his first name, is he? But I don't call my friends by last names. It's rude where I come from."

"Friends?" Scully raised her eyebrow suspiciously. "How do you know him?"

"He called me to ask about my brother."

"Brother?"

"Steven. He never mentioned me to you? Well, why am I surprised? He never talks about you either. All I know I found out from Fox. He first called me after you and Steven started dating and we still meet sometimes to exchange information. He's looking after you, so I have to look after my baby brother, right? I have to know who he's dating. What does a beautiful thing like you see in my kid bro anyway? You need a real man. If you were my woman, I wouldn't have come home alone last night. And you wouldn't be able to walk this morning."

"I can see why Steven didn't want me to meet you," Scully said sharply. The bulge in his boxers started to grow, and it disgusted her. What kind of man is so vulgar with his brother's girlfriend?

"I can see that too," he winked. "This," he waved his hand between them. "Chemistry between us in undeniable."

"Which. Room. Is. Steven's?" Scully asked slowly, with a warning gaze. It didn't intimidate the man, in fact, it only seemed to turn him on more.

"First one on the right," he winked, observing her as she walked past him to the door, opening it without knocking.

The room was empty. Before she had a chance to turn around and walk out of there, the door closed behind her and she wasn't alone anymore. Steven's brother didn't waste any time. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her from behind, onto his sweaty and almost naked body that reeked of alcohol. She only had a moment of panic before she swiftly turned around and her knee connected sharply with his groin. He collapsed in a groaning heap. No wonder Steven never invited her around.

Shaking a little with adrenaline, Scully quickly moved out of the room and rushed to the next closed door. Inside, though mostly dark, she could see Steven's outline on the bed. Hoping his brother wouldn't venture here, she slipped off her shoes, shut the door and climbed in beside him.

* * *

"I can't do this."

"I get every new parent says that." Was all buyers offered as he pushed the pushchair back and forward with a now sleeping Vixen inside it.

"I should call Scully." Mulder muttered for the hundredth time, pushing a hand through his mused and oily hair.

"You really think that's a good idea after what happened? You know Scully, and you know she's going to need some time to process things."

Mulder slumped with a sigh onto the couch. "I guess I just thought she would at least call to see how the baby is doing."

Byers was considering telling Mulder he had seen her outside when the other two gunmen rushed back into the apartment, arms full of things the shop assistant said might help.

Despite his exhaustion, frustration and feeling of being completely out of his depth, Mulder found himself already protective of Vixen and was soon holding her close to his bare chest again, where she seemed to like to rest, listening to the Gunmen's explanation of all the gadgets they were setting up. He wondered if Vixen missed Scully as much as he did.

"Listening?" Frohike suddenly asked.

"White noise, I heard." Mulder mumbled, wondering if there would be time to sleep before Vixen woke again for a feed. He'd called the Gunmen simply because he had no one else to call, but of course she'd grown quiet as soon as they'd arrived and now it was them keeping him awake.

"How about you take some rest?" Frohike suggested, as if reading his mind. Well, maybe not mind, but he could certainly read Mulder's body language. "We can handle the baby for a while," he added, not sounding entirely convincing.

"No," Mulder refused, holding the baby tighter. "She doesn't like strangers."

"We are not strangers," Langley said.

"You are to her," Mulder insisted.

"She won't know," Byers tried to assure him. "She's sleeping."

"Yeah," Frohike pinched in. "You really need a shower, man. You're not much good to her exhausted and neglected."

That did the trick. Mulder placed the baby down and sniffed his underarm. Maybe they were right, he was desperate for a shower. Besides, he called them, asked them to be here. He called his mother first, but at the last moment lost the guts to tell her. He didn't know how she would react to news about having a granddaughter out of nowhere, and it was one problem too many to deal with at the moment.

"Go!" Langley ordered, sitting on his desk and turning his computer on.

Frohike was returning from the kitchen with three beers in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Mulder scolded him, taking the bottles from him. "You can't drink in front of the baby!"

Frohike shrugged and slumped into the chair. In his mind, he was coming up with a plan to hit Mulder in the head with something heavy if he didn't go to sleep on his own free will.

"Make sure she is breathing all the time," Mulder warned them on his way from the kitchen to the bathroom. It's what he's been doing all the time during those short time intervals when Vixen actually slept. He didn't dare to sleep for more than fifteen minutes at a time, from the fear of waking up to baby deceased from SIDS or some other horrible cause.

"We will," Byers assured him, while Frohike rolled his eyes. Langly was already deeply involved in some computer work, not paying attention to any of them.

With a sigh, Mulder finally went to take that shower. Vixen was driving him crazy, but being separated from her, even for just a few minutes, caused him physical pain.

Being a parent was the weirdest experience he ever had, and Mulder had a huge collection of weird experiences behind him.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Steven asked sleepily.

"I had to see you," Scully said.

"Mmm..." he wrapped his arm around her. "You were not supposed to do that."

"I know, I'm sorry. Your brother is a real jerk."

"He's not my brother."

* * *

"Can you believe it?" Frohike was shaking his head.

"I know," Byers nodded, looking at the sleeping baby. "Mulder as a father?"

"Not that," Frohike sounded disappointed. "Scully with a boyfriend."

"You never had a chance with her, anyway," Langley noted.

"You don't know that for sure," Frohike protested.

"Yeah, he does," Byers said. "I'm happy for her."

"Me too," Langley agreed.

"Well, I'm not!" Frohike insisted. "And I'm disappointed with Mulder. Not cool of him to kiss her like that. Not cool at all."

"Someone needs a cold shower," Langley muttered under his breath.

* * *

"So a step-brother?"

"Yeah. My stepfather wanted me to keep an eye on him. It was fine when I was single, but now I'm not too pleased with the arrangement."

"Because of me? Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

"I know that. It's not for your sake, but his. He likes to get himself in trouble, so I don't want FBI agents around him… But maybe it's time to move out before I arrest him myself."

"I don't want you around him either," Scully kissed his shoulder affectionately. "Why don't you move in with me?"

Steven moved slightly away from her to get a good look into her eyes. He needed to know if she really meant it. She looked scared, but a good kind of scared, like when you're taking a leap of faith into the unknown and risking everything for a chance to gain so much more.

After a moment of reading each other's body language, they both smiled, then leaned forward at the same time for a juicy morning kiss.


	8. Chapter 7

Mulder barely noticed the looks he got as he entered the Hoover building on Monday morning. Vixen has been awake since 4 but had finally fallen asleep on the drive to work, and Mulder could barely take his eyes off her, a smile on his lips. When she slept, she pursed her lips just like his partner. His partner who he probably had a lot of explaining to do to. A sigh leaving his lips, Mulder glanced up at the elevator and pressed the down button with his elbow. One hand carried vixens carrier, and the other was full of bags. He had probably brought everything baby related he had with him.

A ding alerted him to the doors opening and his head lifted again, immediately making eye contact with the sole occupant-Scully.

Her eyes opened wide with surprise, then a moment later they fell to look at vixen, her face softening.

"...she has slept about 2 hours all weekend." Was all he could think of to say.

Scully gave no reply, just raised an eyebrow at him when the doors began to close without him getting inside.

Jumping, Mulder rushed into the small space, the jostling thankfully not waking the baby. "Scully, about-"

"I'm totally and utterly sick of you, Mulder." Scully spoke through clenched teeth, not noticing the way that Mulder's face paled. This was his worst nightmare. "How dare you check up on Steven! Why can't you just accept it and be happy for me! I don't need looking after, and I never have!"

The doors opened again before Mulder could get a reply out, several other staff members shuffling in.

Scully let out a shaking breath, glad she'd managed to tell Mulder without giving in to his sad look that she knew he would give her, wide eyed with his bottom lip poking out. She had never been able to withstand that look without giving in, but times were changing. She was changing.

It felt like the longest elevator ride to the basement Mulder ever had. When they finally arrived Scully rushed forward, not waiting for him or offering to help with his bags. She was royally pissed at him. He could understand her anger, but still felt she was being too harsh on him.

"I was just looking after you," he said when he finally reached the office. "Your taste in men is not exactly spotless. After Ed Jerse…"

"How dare you!" she cut him off. "Steven is nothing like Jerse! He's an FBI agent, for god's sake!"

"Scully…" he tried, but she was already leaving the office again. "Where are you going?"

"To our meeting with Skinner. Don't tell me you forgot. You'd better start keeping more track of your meetings then my personal life."

Mulder let out a shaky sigh, putting some of the bags on the floor. He glanced at the heavy carrier Vixen was in and then quickly unbuckled her and instead pulling her into his arms as he rushed after Scully. He wasn't averse to using the baby to get back into Scully's good books. "Scully, I know it was stupid. I knew it was stupid the moment I did it. I know you think I'm being overprotective, but you're the only thing I have in my life, Scully. I need to keep you safe."

"No!" Scully turned, and Mulder knew by the look on her face that she would have pushed him had he not been holding Vixen. "You can't try and make me feel guilty anymore, Mulder! I might be all your have, but you're not all I have, and I'm not going to push people away just to make you happy, not anymore. If you try one more stunt like that, I'm leaving. The X-files, the FBI, and anywhere else that might cause me to come into contact with you!"

Woken by the tense tone she could hear, Vixen gave a whimper and tried to nestle further into Mulder's crumpled shirt while Mulder stared at Scully, dumbfounded. She wouldn't leave him. Would she?

"I promise. Nothing more. I'll even go and talk to Steven, apologise." Mulder fell back into step behind Scully as she marched towards Skinner's office. "Scully? Please. I'll do anything. Absolutely anything you ask me to. I'll...I'll sign Vixen over to you. You can adopt her as your own."

Scully twirled around again, looking incredulous. "You tell me that I'm all you have in your life, and then you're so quick to say you'll give me your own daughter?!"

"I just want you to be happy, Scully. That's all I've ever wanted. I know how much a child means to you, and-" Mulder quietened as another agent walked past, eyeing them curiously. Before Mulder could continue, Vixen began to cry louder, hiccuping loudly as she worked herself up.

"It's ok, honey," he tried to calm her down, but Vixen wouldn't listen. She knew it was not ok.  
Scully was already gone.  
With a raising panic, Mulder barged into Skinner's office, relieved to find her sitting there. She was still pissed though, and Skinner wasn't in a better mood either.  
"What is this, Mulder?" Skinner snapped.  
"Shh, you're scaring her," Mulder was miserably rocking the screaming baby.  
"Give the baby to Scully," Skinner ordered.  
"But sir…"  
"Now Mulder!"  
Scully stood up and took the child, without looking at Mulder. It broke his heart, but Vixen seemed to be pleased and the crying stopped. They all sat down and enjoyed a moment of silence.  
"Are you the father?" Skinner asked.  
"I appear to be, yes," Mulder nodded, adding a miserable: "…sir."  
"Who is the mother?"  
"I don't know that, sir."  
"You don't know?"  
"No, I…" Mulder rubbed his forehead, desperate and exhausted. It felt like the world was falling apart and no matter what he said would be used against him.  
"I don't know…" he sighed. "I don't know how she got here and if there even is a mother. I haven't… been with a woman since 1994., and that woman died shortly afterwards. If you think I would lie about that, go ahead! I have no proof. No answers. I don't know what I'm supposed to do, what you expect me to say…"  
Now Skinner had to rub his forehead. He didn't know what to do either. He wanted to send them both home to figure it out, but this was a case, the baby had a file, and he was their damn boss.  
"I want the baby with Scully," he decided. "I assigned it to her, and if you want the custody you better start working on the paperwork. Agent Scully, you get to stay at home with her, unless you are confident that she isn't in danger, in which case we can involve the social service and close this case from our part."  
"I've examined the baby multiple times and done all the tests I deemed relevant," Scully said. "She is perfectly healthy and developing nicely. I found nothing suspicious, no reason to assume anybody would want to harm her. Her existence is still a mystery, though, so I would prefer to keep her under my care for a while longer."  
She wanted to say no. She wanted to turn away and let Mulder clean his own mess for once. Only, she wasn't doing this for Mulder, but for the innocent, tiny bundle of joy in her arms.  
Scully was a strong woman in every way, but still not strong enough to agree to handle the baby in her arms to the system. Even though losing her was inevitable at some point, and even though Steven wouldn't be pleased.  
"That's fine, Agent Scully," Skinner agreed. "The baby is to stay with you until I approve otherwise. I also expect a report from you by the end of the day."  
"Yes, sir," Scully nodded.  
"Agent Mulder," Skinner continued. "If you want to pursue custody, you can have some time off for that. We have an FBI daycare, and I can arrange a place for her there. But you can't have her in the office again, either yours or mine. Figure it out, you'll have my support, but until you do, she is to stay with Agent Scully at all times. Is that clear?"  
"Yes, sir," Mulder agreed. "She can have her. It's better for the baby. I… I haven't slept the whole weekend… I don't know what I'm doing… I just want to protect her, but I'm not… She needs a mother… I can't… I can't do this…"  
If Scully looked at him at that moment, she would see a broken man and she wouldn't be able to stay cold towards him. But Scully didn't look at him. She closed her heart and turned her back on him, for Steven's sake and her own sake. Even for Mulder's sake. She stood by him for years, neglecting everything else in her life, but she wasn't able to fix him. Her presence didn't change anything, and now he was trying to sabotage her relationship and she just couldn't understand why. The taste of his lips was still fresh in her memory, as fresh as the smell of his secret buddy, Steven's roommate. He went too far this time.  
"Take some time off," Skinner suggested in a friendlier voice. Scully may have refused to see it, but Skinner didn't. His agent never looked so lost. "It's a lot to take in, a lot to consider. You shouldn't make haste decisions about this."  
"Yes, sir," Mulder agreed, not really listening. He was looking at the floor, trying to suppress tears. The thought of being separated from Vixen, probably forever, was killing him from the inside. And the only person who could possibly help him deal with it was royally pissed at him, and for a good reason. The only idea he had was to find Steven, urgently, and apologize, give him his blessing, beg him if needed be. The fat bastard won.  
"Can I go now?" he asked anxiously.  
"Sure," Skinner agreed, but when Mulder jumped and rushed to the door, he stopped him. "Mulder!"  
"Yeah?"  
"What is her name?"  
"Vixen," Mulder smiled. "But she is going to hate that, so you can call her Mulder."  
"I wouldn't say it would be fair to saddle her with that name, either." Scully muttered under her breath, causing skinner to raise his eyebrows. In the doorway, Mulder hesitated and then disappeared into the corridor with sagging shoulders.

…

Back in the relative safety of her office, Scully shut her eyes tightly to suppress the tears that threatened, laughing scornfully at herself. He hurt her all the time, why should she feel bad for hurting him back? Only when Mulder did it, it was in the heat of the moment, it was because his mind was focused elsewhere. Hers was because of fury, aimed to hurt.

Letting out a shaking breath, Scully opened her eyes and looked down at the baby with a forced smile, dropping a kiss to hair soft hair. "Why don't we go somewhere a little nicer, hey? And maybe try to find a name for you that you won't resent us for when you're 14."

…

Steven was just tidying his desk when his doorway darkened, and he knew who it was without even looking up. "What do you want?"

Mulder, hesitating, bit his lip before managing, "I've come to offer you an apology. For hitting you, for checking up on you. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done any of it, and I won't bother offering you any excuses, because we both know Scully never has any time for them."

"Did Dana send you here?" Steven eyed him suspiciously. "Because you can stick your apologies-"

"No!" Mulder quickly cut him off. "She doesn't know that I'm here. She's not even talking to me."

"So you want to make it up to her?" Steven crossed his arms, enjoying Mulder's misery and not trying to hide it. "You don't expect me to help with that, do you?"

"I just want her to be happy," Mulder sighed."And as much as I hate to admit it, she's never been happier. I have you to thank for that and I... Thank you, Bryant. I mean it. She's been through so much. After her abduction and coma, near terminal cancer, loss of a child, our failed IVF..."

"Your WHAT?!"

Mulder blanched, realising Scully might not have told Steven. "I, ah, look, I should go."

"You tried IVF? Together?!" Steven stared at him incredulously.

"You need to talk about this with Scully."

"Scully isn't here. Tell me."

…

"What do you think of...Janet?" Scully asked vixen, grinning when the baby scrunched her nose. "Ok, how about… Britney?" Scullys eyes flicked over the names on the front of magazines as she bounced the baby on her hip. "No, you're not a Britney. Millie? No. Not Millie Mulder."

A ring from her pocket distracted the red head, and she was pleased to see Stevens name showing up on the screen. "Hello, you."

"Where are you?"

Scully frowned, concerned he sounded angry. "Steven? I'm at the grocery store with the baby, I wanted to-"

"I thought we'd already talked about that damn baby! It's not yours and it never will be. Or is it?"  
"What do you mean Is it? What exactly are you implying?"  
"Why don't you tell me!"  
He sounded angry. Really angry. Scully had never heard him so furious and she had no idea how or why it happened. What the hell was he accusing her of?  
"Steven, calm down," she tried to reason with him. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
"I'm talking about your fucking IVF with your fucking partner!" Steven yelled so loud that Scully feared the whole store could hear him. Sensing the tension, Vixen started to complain, so Scully placed her in the shopping cart and started to push it back and forth, while trying to compose herself. It was suddenly hard to breathe.  
"Who told you about that?" she managed to ask.  
"So you won't try to deny it? It's true?"  
"Yes, but…"  
"But what? The IVF wasn't done on you? You had a surrogate mother? Do you really think that changes anything?"  
"Damn it, Steven! It was done on me! There was no surrogacy involved and it didn't work!"  
"Then how come there is a baby?"  
"I don't know the first thing about this baby's origin and where she came from, but I can assure you she isn't mine!"  
"That's exactly what he kept saying, until he was faced with DNA test results. But she was never tested against your DNA. Why is that, Dana?  
"Why would I test her for that? This is ridiculous!"  
"No, this is starting to make sense. You did the IVF, found the surrogate mother, but then you met me and you learned on our second get-to-know-your-partner assignment that I am not keen on dating a single mother. So you arranged for your baby to be delivered anonymously, as if she was an orphan or something."  
"Enough! You are crossing the line!"  
"Am I? Then how come she looks so much like you? She's so damn white and she has your eyes!"  
"All babies have blue eyes!"  
"Do they? I'm not so sure about it!"  
"Yes, they do!"  
"If she isn't yours, why are you taking care of her?"  
"Because AD Skinner ordered me to! She is assigned to me! I'm just doing my damn job!"  
"I'm not an idiot, Dana! That's not how I got the job as an investigator, so stop trying to make a fool of me!"  
"I've had enough of this conversation. You need to cool down and then we can talk like adults."  
"No, we can't. I have nothing more to say to you."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Go to hell!"  
He hung up on her. Scully stared at the phone in disbelief. Vixen was crying now, but she couldn't even hear her, her senses were blocked.  
Did he just break up with her? Over the damn phone?  
How the hell did he find out about IVF? She didn't even tell to her mother, only Mulder…  
Mulder!  
You never know how much a betrayal can hurt, until both of the two most important men in your life betray the life out of you, at the very same time…  
"Are you ok?" an elderly woman touched her shoulder, concerned about the unattended baby in the cart. Scully turned to look at her, and the whole store turned upside down, throwing her off balance and into oblivion…

She woke up in the hospital, with a piercing headache.  
"Where am I?" she asked the nurse that tended to her. "What happened?"  
"You fainted," the nurse explained. "You took a pretty nasty hit on the shelf with your head, so you were out for a while. We'll need to do some more tests, but your baby is fine, don't worry."  
"The baby… Where is she?"  
The nurse looked at her with concern. To ask such a question must have meant a head injury was more serious than they feared. She didn't want to alarm the patient, so she smiled soothingly and played along.  
"Here," she gently took Scully's hand and placed it on her stomach. "Your baby is safe and sound, right here, where it's supposed to be."

* * *

 **Author's note (from sparozina): I'm really sorry, but there won't be more updates to this story soon. My co-writer can't write for a few months and I don't want to do it without her. But I promise not to leave it unfinished, so be assured that the story isn't abandoned, just delayed.  
**

 **Also, I have a question. Does any of you like Steven? I love him and the reviews against him make me sad, so I need to know if there is anybody who doesn't hate him. Please tell me that I am not alone! If you don't like him, well, my co-writer is completely on your side.**


	9. Chapter 8

As Scully stared at the nurse with confusion, a voice rang out loudly in the hallway.

"Just let me in to see her!"

Scully's head throbbed and no matter how hard she tried to remember what had happened to her, all she could think of was Vixen's face. Had someone taken her?

"Mulder," she managed hoarsely.

"Is that the baby's father?" The nurse enquired kindly.

"Mulder!" Scully managed louder.

"SCULLY!" His voice cried from outside the room, strong arms holding him back.

"You need to calm down before you can go in, sir." One of the men offered.

"I am calm! Scully! She's ok. The baby is ok. She's with Skinner!"

"Do you want me to let him in?" the nurse asked Scully.

"Yes!" she said without thinking, with urgency in her voice. But then she remembered: the fight she had with Mulder, the fight she had with Steven, the… what? Pregnancy?

She stopped the nurse from leaving to get Mulder by grabbing her on the arm.

"I'm barren," she whispered.

"You're pregnant," the nurse assured her. "Do you want to see your chart?"

Scully nodded. "I'm a medical doctor."

"Good," the nurse remarked. "Then I don't have to explain it to you. You take a look while I go get your..."

"No!" Scully stopped her. "He can't… I don't… I don't want any visitors right now."

She couldn't tell Mulder, not before talking to Steven first. He was the one that should have been called… She made a mental note to change her next of kin.

Then she looked at the chart, wondering what the hell she should even tell him? A miracle? A divine intervention? Another experiment? By who?

What does she tell to this child? What does she tell to herself?

Only one answer came to her mind. _This isn't happening_ …

Slipping outside, the nurse held up a hand to the security guards holding Mulder, and relief flooded his face, sure Scully would have told her to let him in.

"I'm afraid the patient can't have visitors yet. Perhaps if you'd like to come back later?"

Mulder's shoulders sagged. Scully always wanted to see him. No matter what had happened, even if they'd fought. Even if it was his fault she was lying in a hospital bed.

"...can you please tell her that the baby is okay, and that-" he racked his brains, trying to think of some way he could please her. He could only think of one thing. "Tell her I'll go and find Special Agent Bryant for her, if she wants me to."

Nodding her head, the nurse slipped back into the room to find Scully still staring at her chart with a frown creasing her forehead. "The man outside has asked me to tell you-"

"I heard. Tell him to go and be with his child and leave me the hell alone and to stop meddling with my life." Scully spoke without emotion, her voice flat.

"She, um, just wants to be alone right now," the nurse tried to pass the message with nicer words. "There's no need to call anybody."

"I heard," Mulder said bitterly. He turned to leave, taking out his phone. He wasn't going to leave her alone. If Scully didn't want to see him, then Steven should be with her. If she didn't want Steven, then Mulder was perfectly fine with that, but still… He couldn't leave her alone.

He dialed the number and brought the phone to his ear, bracing himself with a huge sigh.

"Hello," the familiar voice answered.

"Hi, it's Fox Mulder."

"Fox? What's wrong? Did something happen to Dana?"

"She's fine, she just… She fell and was brought to the hospital. I, um, can't stay, so I was wondering if you could..."

"I'll be right there."

"Thank you, Mrs. Scully."

…

An hour later, Scully knew Mulder was still outside the room pacing. Every so often his footsteps would stop just outside the door, and half of her willed him to go against her wishes and come in, while the other half hated him even more for not listening to her and leaving. When the door finally edged open, she opened her mouth to yell at him, but instead tears burst forth as her mother entered the room and rushed over to her, enveloping her into warm arms.

"What's happened?"

Scully sniffled but gave no real reply, allowing herself to be mothered for a few short minutes. She didn't need to ask who had called her mother.

"Dana?" Her mother finally asked a few minutes later when the sobs had finally died down.

"..Mulder had a baby with another woman." Why had she said _that?_ Why was that the first thing out of her mouth? "And as usual he had to ruin my life with his stupid mistakes. I hate him, mom."

"You don't mean that," Maggie shook her head. There was a hint of disapproval in her voice, she certainly didn't raise her children to hate anybody. "I'm sorry, darling. I knew you had feelings for Fox."

Her mother knew? She knew WHAT?!

"Of course I have feelings for him."

She just said WHAT?!

Was this a symptom of brain concussion from her fall? A nervous breakdown from all the stress at work? Some kind of imbalance caused by pregnancy hormones?

Was she really _pregnant_?!

She still couldn't believe it. She didn't dare to believe it. It was too good to be true.

She wanted to tell her mother, but she couldn't. Her mother didn't even know about Steven. Maggie believed her daughter wanted Mulder, of all people!

"He's my friend," Scully tried to explain. "Nothing more. Our relationship is strictly platonic."

 _Except for that one time he kissed me. And that time when he tried to. And a couple of times when he declared his love for me in the hospital, under the influence of various drugs..._

 _Except that one time I kissed him back._

"Can you ask him to come in, please?" Scully suddenly interjected as her mother went to talk.

Eyes hopeful, Maggie rushed to the door.

When Mulder slipped inside he looked anxious. Nervous. Of her. "Scully, I-"

"Vixen?" Scully questioned wearily.

"She's ok. Well, screaming the Hoover building down because you're not there, but other than that she's okay."

Scully lifted a hand to rub her forehead, forgetting there was now a bandage there and wincing when the pain shot through her head. She was a jumble of pain and feelings and confusion. "...Are we sure no one hurt me to try and get to her for something?"

"You just fainted, Scully." His hand brushed the back of hers and she pulled it away as though burnt, making Mulder take a step away from the bed.

"Dana just told me you became a father," Maggie interrupted awkwardly. "The baby's name is Vixen?"

"Yeah, I mean no, we just call her that because… Until…" Mulder mumbled, looking at Scully for help, but she wasn't returning his gaze. "Well… Yeah, that's her name, I guess."

"Oh," Maggie was left speechless, but only for a moment. "Congratulations, Fox!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Scully."

"Well," Maggie turned back to her daughter. "I'll go get you something to eat, and you two can talk in private."

"I'm not hungry, mom," Scully said sharply. "And Mulder was just leaving."

"Scully, I-" Mulder tried to protest.

"You've told me everything I needed to know. I want to rest now, so you need to go. Home," she emphasized.

"But-"

"Go. Home."

After a long moment of hesitation, Mulder nodded, though he walked slowly from the room as though waiting for her to change her mind. When he finally left, Maggie's mouth opened to speak, but stopped when she saw Scully brushing away tears.

"Mom, I need to tell you something."

…

After multiple reassurances from both security and the nursing staff that Scully would be well treated, Mulder made his way back to the Hoover building, intending to at least attempt to help Skinner with the baby, though neither of them really had a clue. They needed Scully. How had he messed things up so badly when all he ever wanted was the best for her?

As though fate was listening to his thoughts (he made a mental note to double check their old files to see if that had come up before), when Mulder stepped into the lift, he found himself face to face with agent Steven Bryant.

Mulder closed his eyes for a second, trying to calm down and avoid the conflict. But Bryant was having none of it.

"Are you happy now?" he asked bitterly.

"I'm far from being happy," Mulder sighed miserably. He didn't need this. Scully didn't need this.

"I broke up with her. It's what you wanted, so stop playing a damn victim!"

"You broke up with her?" At least that explained Scully's weird behavior. Possibly. "Listen, if it's because of what I said-"

"I'm tired of your games! All the lies… Go fuck each other, I'm not gonna be a third wheel anymore! You can have her all for yourself!"

The elevator stopped and Steven turned to exit it, but Mulder grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Listen to me, Bryant! It's no secret that you and I don't like each other, but I'm not the one she wants! She wants you."

"Get your hands off me!" Steven barked.

"It was just one kiss! And it was all my fault! You can't blame her for that!"

"What kiss?" Steven's eyes burned with hate.

 _Damn_ , Mulder scolded himself. _How do I always manage to make everything worse? Why do I keep screwing up?_

"I'm sorry," he said out loud, sincerely. "I thought you knew..."

"Well," Steven's anger suddenly disappeared, and he was now just as tired and miserable as Mulder felt. "I don't need to know more..."

He walked away and this time Mulder didn't try to stop him.

As soon as the elevator door opened on the next floor, he heard a loud screaming coming from Skinner's office. His father's instinct kicked in and he barged inside, taking the baby from Skinner's secretary. Vixen immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and fell into an exhausted sleep.

"You weren't supposed to let anybody near her," Mulder scolded Skinner.

"I haven't taken my eyes off her the whole time," Skinner promised. "But she kept screaming louder than you do when I try to send you on mandatory vacation. My secretary was just trying to help."

"I'm here, baby," Mulder whispered to Vixen, forgetting about Skinner for a moment. "I won't let anybody hurt you."

"You are a natural," Skinner was impressed and, more importantly, relieved. He thought the screaming would never stop.

"I'm taking her until Scully leaves the hospital," Mulder said. It wasn't a question.

"Of course," Skinner agreed, knowing very well that the little girl couldn't be in safer hands. "How is Scully doing?"

"She's fine," Mulder said, not willing to admit that he didn't know, that his partner didn't trust him enough anymore to update him about her condition. He carefully placed the baby into her carrier and buckled her up for a ride home.

"What about you, Mulder?" Skinner asked.

"What about me?" Mulder looked at him in surprise.

"How are you doing?" Skinner asked gently. It took Mulder totally off guard.

He wanted to say _fine, thank you_ and leave, but suddenly everything caught up to him and the words didn't come out. Vixen… Scully… Steven… And, completely unrelated, but because she was always somewhere in the back of his mind, Samantha.

He didn't realize he was crying until he felt Skinner's arm on his shoulder, and by then it was too late, because his head already collapsed on his boss' shoulder and he couldn't stop the sobs from erupting.


End file.
